Bill Text: NY A07376 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Allows owners of buildings which are master metered for electricity and have rent inclusion of electricity to file applications to terminate the rent inclusion of electricity for such accommodations.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 18)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-16 - advanced to third reading cal.360 [A07376 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A07376-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7376
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      May 3, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. HEVESI, V. LOPEZ, O'DONNELL, KELLNER, DINOWITZ,
         GOTTFRIED, COLTON, JAFFEE, N. RIVERA, BROOK-KRASNY --  Multi-Sponsored
         by -- M. of A. AUBRY, BOYLAND, BRENNAN, FARRELL, GLICK, LANCMAN, McEN-
         ENY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
       AN  ACT  to  amend  the administrative code of the city of New York, the
         emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four and the emer-
         gency housing rent control law, in relation to the termination of rent
         inclusion of electricity for housing accommodations
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1.  Subdivision c of section 26-511 of the administrative code
    2  of  the city of New York is amended by adding a new paragraph 15 to read
    3  as follows:
    4    (15) PROVIDES THAT OWNERS OF BUILDINGS WHICH ARE  MASTER  METERED  FOR
    5  ELECTRICITY AND HAVE RENT INCLUSION OF ELECTRICITY MAY FILE APPLICATIONS
    6  TO  TERMINATE  THE  RENT INCLUSION OF ELECTRICITY FOR THE ACCOMMODATIONS
    7  SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION.
    8    (A) THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL FORMULATE  AND
    9  PUBLISH A SCHEDULE OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS OR UPDATE THE SCHEDULE OF ADJUST-
   10  MENTS  WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE PUBLICATION OF A NEW HOUSING AND VACANCY
   11  SURVEY BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU. THE SCHEDULE OR UPDATED SCHE-
   12  DULE OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS SHALL BE BASED ON THE NEW SURVEY DATA AS  TABU-
   13  LATED  BY THE NEW YORK CITY RENT GUIDELINES BOARD, GOVERNING THE RATE BY
   14  WHICH THE RENT OF REGULATED HOUSING  ACCOMMODATIONS  SHALL  BE  ADJUSTED
   15  UPON  AND  AFTER  CONVERSION  TO  INDIVIDUAL METERING AT THE BUILDING BY
   16  MEANS OF EITHER DIRECT METERING OR SUBMETERING. THE DIVISION OF  HOUSING
   17  AND  COMMUNITY  RENEWAL  SHALL PROMULGATE AN OPERATIONAL BULLETIN AND/OR
   18  MODIFY OR AMEND ITS REGULATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO  GIVE  EFFECT  TO
   19  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
   20    (B)  THE  NEW  YORK CITY RENT GUIDELINES BOARD SHALL PROVIDE STAFF AND
   21  ASSISTANCE TO THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL, BY TABULAT-
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD07864-01-1
       A. 7376                             2
    1  ING THE DATA OF THE TRIENNIAL NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AND  VACANCY  SURVEY
    2  PRODUCED BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF PUBLI-
    3  CATION  AND  PROVIDING THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL THE
    4  DATA NECESSARY TO PROMULGATE A SCHEDULE OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS.
    5    (C) THE SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS SHALL APPLY TO ALL RENT STABILIZED
    6  ACCOMMODATION  UNITS  IN  A  BUILDING  THAT CONVERTS FROM MASTER UTILITY
    7  METERING TO INDIVIDUAL UTILITY METERING BY MEANS OF EITHER DIRECT METER-
    8  ING OR SUBMETERING, AND SHALL TAKE EFFECT DURING THE YEAR IN  WHICH  THE
    9  METERING IN THE BUILDING IS CONVERTED AND CONTINUE EACH YEAR THEREAFTER.
   10    (D)  AFTER  THE CONVERSION, ALL TENANTS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR
   11  OWN ELECTRIC CONSUMPTION EXCEPT THOSE WHO, ON THE  DATE  OF  CONVERSION,
   12  ARE  RECEIVING  A SENIOR CITIZEN RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION OR A DISABILITY
   13  RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 26-509 OF THIS CHAPTER.  FOR
   14  SUCH  TENANTS  THE RENT SHALL NOT BE REDUCED AND THE COST OF ELECTRICITY
   15  SHALL REMAIN INCLUDED IN THE RENT; HOWEVER, THE OWNER  MAY  INSTALL  ANY
   16  EQUIPMENT  IN  SUCH  TENANT'S  HOUSING  ACCOMMODATION AS IS REQUIRED FOR
   17  EFFECTUATION OF THE ELECTRICAL CONVERSION.  IF  SUCH  TENANT  NO  LONGER
   18  RECEIVES  SUCH  BENEFIT  OR VACATES THE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION, THE OWNER
   19  SHALL REDUCE THE LEGAL REGULATED RENT FOR THE HOUSING  ACCOMMODATION  IN
   20  ACCORDANCE  WITH THE THEN-CURRENT SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS AS PROMUL-
   21  GATED BY THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL.
   22    (E) NOTHING IN THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL  BE  CONSTRUED  TO  PERMIT  SHARED
   23  METERING.
   24    S 2. Section 26-405 of the administrative code of the city of New York
   25  is amended by adding a new subdivision n to read as follows:
   26    N.  SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS; INDIVIDUAL ELECTRIC METERING.  OWNERS
   27  OF BUILDINGS WHICH ARE MASTER METERED  FOR  ELECTRICITY  AND  HAVE  RENT
   28  INCLUSION  OF  ELECTRICITY  MAY  FILE APPLICATIONS TO TERMINATE THE RENT
   29  INCLUSION OF ELECTRICITY FOR THE ACCOMMODATIONS SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION.
   30    (1) THE CITY RENT AGENCY SHALL FORMULATE AND  PUBLISH  A  SCHEDULE  OF
   31  RENT ADJUSTMENTS OR UPDATE THE SCHEDULE OF ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN SIX MONTHS
   32  OF  THE  PUBLICATION  OF  A NEW HOUSING AND VACANCY SURVEY BY THE UNITED
   33  STATES CENSUS BUREAU. THE SCHEDULE OR UPDATED SCHEDULE OF  RENT  ADJUST-
   34  MENTS SHALL BE BASED ON THE NEW SURVEY DATA AS TABULATED BY THE NEW YORK
   35  CITY  RENT  GUIDELINES  BOARD,  GOVERNING  THE RATE BY WHICH THE RENT OF
   36  REGULATED HOUSING  ACCOMMODATIONS  SHALL  BE  ADJUSTED  UPON  AND  AFTER
   37  CONVERSION  TO  INDIVIDUAL  METERING  AT THE BUILDING BY MEANS OF EITHER
   38  DIRECT METERING OR SUBMETERING. THE CITY RENT AGENCY SHALL PROMULGATE AN
   39  OPERATIONAL BULLETIN AND/OR MODIFY OR AMEND ITS REGULATIONS  AS  MAY  BE
   40  NECESSARY TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   41    (2)  THE  NEW  YORK CITY RENT GUIDELINES BOARD SHALL PROVIDE STAFF AND
   42  ASSISTANCE TO THE CITY RENT AGENCY, BY TABULATING THE DATA OF THE TRIEN-
   43  NIAL NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AND VACANCY SURVEY  PRODUCED  BY  THE  UNITED
   44  STATES CENSUS BUREAU WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF PUBLICATION AND PROVIDING THE
   45  CITY  RENT  AGENCY  THE  DATA NECESSARY TO PROMULGATE A SCHEDULE OF RENT
   46  ADJUSTMENTS.
   47    (3) THE SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS SHALL APPLY TO ALL RENT CONTROLLED
   48  ACCOMMODATION UNITS IN A BUILDING  THAT  CONVERTS  FROM  MASTER  UTILITY
   49  METERING TO INDIVIDUAL UTILITY METERING BY MEANS OF EITHER DIRECT METER-
   50  ING  OR  SUBMETERING, AND SHALL TAKE EFFECT DURING THE YEAR IN WHICH THE
   51  METERING IN THE BUILDING IS CONVERTED AND CONTINUE EACH YEAR THEREAFTER.
   52    (4) AFTER THE CONVERSION, ALL TENANTS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE  FOR  THEIR
   53  OWN  ELECTRIC  CONSUMPTION  EXCEPT THOSE WHO, ON THE DATE OF CONVERSION,
   54  ARE RECEIVING A SENIOR CITIZEN RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION OR  A  DISABILITY
   55  RENT  INCREASE EXEMPTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 26-406 OF THIS CHAPTER. FOR
   56  SUCH TENANTS THE RENT SHALL NOT BE REDUCED AND THE COST  OF  ELECTRICITY
       A. 7376                             3
    1  SHALL  REMAIN  INCLUDED  IN THE RENT; HOWEVER, THE OWNER MAY INSTALL ANY
    2  EQUIPMENT IN SUCH TENANT'S HOUSING  ACCOMMODATION  AS  IS  REQUIRED  FOR
    3  EFFECTUATION  OF  THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVERSION.  IF SUCH TENANT NO LONGER
    4  RECEIVES  SUCH  BENEFIT  OR VACATES THE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION, THE OWNER
    5  SHALL REDUCE THE MAXIMUM RENT FOR THE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION  IN  ACCORD-
    6  ANCE WITH THE THEN-CURRENT SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS AS PROMULGATED BY
    7  THE CITY RENT AGENCY.
    8    (5)  NOTHING  IN  THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO PERMIT SHARED
    9  METERING.
   10    S 3. Subdivision d of section 6 of section 4 of  chapter  576  of  the
   11  laws  of 1974, constituting the emergency tenant protection act of nine-
   12  teen seventy-four, is amended by adding a new paragraph  6  to  read  as
   13  follows:
   14    (6)  OWNERS  OF BUILDINGS WHICH ARE MASTER METERED FOR ELECTRICITY AND
   15  HAVE RENT INCLUSION OF ELECTRICITY MAY FILE  APPLICATIONS  TO  TERMINATE
   16  THE RENT INCLUSION OF ELECTRICITY FOR THE ACCOMMODATIONS SUBJECT TO THIS
   17  SECTION.
   18    (I)  THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL FORMULATE AND
   19  PUBLISH A SCHEDULE OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS OR UPDATE THE SCHEDULE OF ADJUST-
   20  MENTS WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE PUBLICATION OF A NEW HOUSING AND  VACANCY
   21  SURVEY BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU. THE SCHEDULE OR UPDATED SCHE-
   22  DULE  OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS SHALL BE BASED ON THE NEW SURVEY DATA AS TABU-
   23  LATED BY THE NEW YORK CITY RENT GUIDELINES BOARD, GOVERNING THE RATE  BY
   24  WHICH  THE  RENT  OF  REGULATED HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS SHALL BE ADJUSTED
   25  UPON AND AFTER CONVERSION TO INDIVIDUAL  METERING  AT  THE  BUILDING  BY
   26  MEANS  OF EITHER DIRECT METERING OR SUBMETERING. THE DIVISION OF HOUSING
   27  AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL PROMULGATE AN  OPERATIONAL  BULLETIN  AND/OR
   28  MODIFY  OR  AMEND  ITS REGULATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO GIVE EFFECT TO
   29  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
   30    (II) THE NEW YORK CITY RENT GUIDELINES BOARD SHALL PROVIDE  STAFF  AND
   31  ASSISTANCE TO THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL, BY TABULAT-
   32  ING  THE  DATA OF THE TRIENNIAL NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AND VACANCY SURVEY
   33  PRODUCED BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF PUBLI-
   34  CATION AND PROVIDING THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY  RENEWAL  THE
   35  DATA NECESSARY TO PROMULGATE A SCHEDULE OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS.
   36    (III)  THE  SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS SHALL APPLY TO ALL RENT STABI-
   37  LIZED ACCOMMODATION UNITS IN A BUILDING THAT CONVERTS FROM MASTER UTILI-
   38  TY METERING TO INDIVIDUAL UTILITY METERING BY  MEANS  OF  EITHER  DIRECT
   39  METERING  OR SUBMETERING, AND SHALL TAKE EFFECT DURING THE YEAR IN WHICH
   40  THE METERING IN THE BUILDING IS CONVERTED AND CONTINUE EACH YEAR  THERE-
   41  AFTER.
   42    (IV)  AFTER THE CONVERSION, ALL TENANTS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR
   43  OWN ELECTRIC CONSUMPTION EXCEPT THOSE WHO, ON THE  DATE  OF  CONVERSION,
   44  ARE  RECEIVING  A SENIOR CITIZEN RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION OR A DISABILITY
   45  RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION PURSUANT TO A LOCAL LAW, ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION
   46  AS AUTHORIZED BY SECTION 467-B OF THE REAL PROPERTY TAX  LAW.  FOR  SUCH
   47  TENANTS  THE RENT SHALL NOT BE REDUCED AND THE COST OF ELECTRICITY SHALL
   48  REMAIN INCLUDED IN THE RENT; HOWEVER, THE OWNER MAY INSTALL  ANY  EQUIP-
   49  MENT IN SUCH TENANT'S HOUSING ACCOMMODATION AS IS REQUIRED FOR EFFECTUA-
   50  TION  OF  THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVERSION. IF SUCH TENANT NO LONGER RECEIVES
   51  SUCH BENEFIT OR VACATES  THE  HOUSING  ACCOMMODATION,  THE  OWNER  SHALL
   52  REDUCE THE LEGAL REGULATED RENT FOR THE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION IN ACCORD-
   53  ANCE WITH THE THEN-CURRENT SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS AS PROMULGATED BY
   54  THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL.
   55    (V)  NOTHING  IN  THIS  PARAGRAPH  SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO PERMIT SHARED
   56  METERING.
       A. 7376                             4
    1    S 4. Section 4 of chapter 274 of the laws of  1946,  constituting  the
    2  emergency  housing rent control law, is amended by adding a new subdivi-
    3  sion 9 to read as follows:
    4    9.    OWNERS OF BUILDINGS WHICH ARE MASTER METERED FOR ELECTRICITY AND
    5  HAVE RENT INCLUSION OF ELECTRICITY MAY FILE  APPLICATIONS  TO  TERMINATE
    6  THE RENT INCLUSION OF ELECTRICITY FOR THE ACCOMMODATIONS SUBJECT TO THIS
    7  SECTION.
    8    (1)  THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL FORMULATE AND
    9  PUBLISH A SCHEDULE OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS OR UPDATE THE SCHEDULE OF ADJUST-
   10  MENTS WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE PUBLICATION OF A NEW HOUSING AND  VACANCY
   11  SURVEY BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU. THE SCHEDULE OR UPDATED SCHE-
   12  DULE  OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS SHALL BE BASED ON THE NEW SURVEY DATA AS TABU-
   13  LATED BY THE NEW YORK CITY RENT GUIDELINES BOARD, GOVERNING THE RATE  BY
   14  WHICH  THE  RENT  OF  REGULATED HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS SHALL BE ADJUSTED
   15  UPON AND AFTER CONVERSION TO INDIVIDUAL  METERING  AT  THE  BUILDING  BY
   16  MEANS  OF EITHER DIRECT METERING OR SUBMETERING. THE DIVISION OF HOUSING
   17  AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL PROMULGATE AN  OPERATIONAL  BULLETIN  AND/OR
   18  MODIFY  OR  AMEND  ITS REGULATIONS AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO GIVE EFFECT TO
   19  THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   20    (2) THE NEW YORK CITY RENT GUIDELINES BOARD SHALL  PROVIDE  STAFF  AND
   21  ASSISTANCE TO THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL, BY TABULAT-
   22  ING  THE  DATA OF THE TRIENNIAL NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AND VACANCY SURVEY
   23  PRODUCED BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF PUBLI-
   24  CATION AND PROVIDING THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY  RENEWAL  THE
   25  DATA NECESSARY TO PROMULGATE A SCHEDULE OF RENT ADJUSTMENTS.
   26    (3) THE SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS SHALL APPLY TO ALL RENT CONTROLLED
   27  ACCOMMODATION  UNITS  IN  A  BUILDING  THAT CONVERTS FROM MASTER UTILITY
   28  METERING TO INDIVIDUAL UTILITY METERING BY MEANS OF EITHER DIRECT METER-
   29  ING OR SUBMETERING, AND SHALL TAKE EFFECT DURING THE YEAR IN  WHICH  THE
   30  METERING IN THE BUILDING IS CONVERTED AND CONTINUE EACH YEAR THEREAFTER.
   31    (4)  AFTER  THE CONVERSION, ALL TENANTS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR
   32  OWN ELECTRIC CONSUMPTION EXCEPT THOSE WHO, ON THE  DATE  OF  CONVERSION,
   33  ARE  RECEIVING  A SENIOR CITIZEN RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION OR A DISABILITY
   34  RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION PURSUANT TO A LOCAL LAW, ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION
   35  AS AUTHORIZED BY SECTION 467-B OF THE REAL PROPERTY TAX  LAW.  FOR  SUCH
   36  TENANTS  THE RENT SHALL NOT BE REDUCED AND THE COST OF ELECTRICITY SHALL
   37  REMAIN INCLUDED IN THE RENT; HOWEVER, THE OWNER MAY INSTALL  ANY  EQUIP-
   38  MENT IN SUCH TENANT'S HOUSING ACCOMMODATION AS IS REQUIRED FOR EFFECTUA-
   39  TION  OF  THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVERSION. IF SUCH TENANT NO LONGER RECEIVES
   40  SUCH BENEFIT OR VACATES  THE  HOUSING  ACCOMMODATION,  THE  OWNER  SHALL
   41  REDUCE THE MAXIMUM RENT FOR THE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH
   42  THE THEN-CURRENT SCHEDULE OF RENT REDUCTIONS AS PROMULGATED BY THE DIVI-
   43  SION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL.
   44    (5)  NOTHING  IN  THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO PERMIT SHARED
   45  METERING.
   46    S 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that:
   47    a. sections one, two, three and four of this act shall take effect  on
   48  the  first  of January next succeeding the date upon which it shall have
   49  become a law, and shall apply to all fiscal years commencing on or after
   50  such date;
   51    b. the amendments to section 26-511 of the rent stabilization  law  of
   52  nineteen hundred sixty-nine made by section one of this act shall expire
   53  on the same date as such law expires and shall not affect the expiration
   54  of such law as provided under section 26-520 of such law;
   55    c.  the  amendments  to  section 26-405 of the city rent and rehabili-
   56  tation law made by section two of this act shall remain  in  full  force
       A. 7376                             5
    1  and effect only as long as the public emergency requiring the regulation
    2  and control of residential rents and evictions continues, as provided in
    3  subdivision  3  of section 1 of the local emergency housing rent control
    4  act;
    5    d.  the  amendments  to  subdivision  d  of section 6 of the emergency
    6  tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four made by section three  of
    7  this act shall expire on the same date as such act expires and shall not
    8  affect  the  expiration of such act as provided in section 17 of chapter
    9  576 of the laws of 1974; and
   10    e. the amendments to section 4 of the emergency housing  rent  control
   11  law  made  by  section four of this act shall expire on the same date as
   12  such law expires and shall not affect the  expiration  of  such  law  as
   13  provided  in  subdivision  2  of section 1 of chapter 274 of the laws of
   14  1946.
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